2002 Field Trips

• Grass Lake, August 17th. Meet at 8:00 am at the pink Scolari's Market at 8165 S Virginia St. in the Southwest Pavilion (south end of parking lot). Participants will get their feet, and perhaps more, wet so dress appropriately. Trip size is limited - please call the leaders to ensure your spot. Leaders Janet Bair and Lori Allessio. Rose Knob Peak, August 8th (Thursday). Meet at 8 a.m. near the pink Scolari's in the Southwest Pavilion at 8165 South Virginia Street. Second meeting place at 9 a.m. at the west side of Tahoe Meadows near the start of the road to Incline Lake. This will be a 3+ mile hike with an elevation gain of 1,500 ft. Bring water, lunch, bug spray, and sunscreen. Leaders Arnold Tiehm and Steve Matson.
• White Mountains, August 2nd-5th (Friday-Monday). This weekend camping trip will be to the White Mountains east of Big Pine, CA. Camping will be in a group camp. The cost of the group campground ($49) will be divided among participants. This is a dry camp, so participants must bring the water that they will need. Two-wheel-drive vehicles O.K. for campground. Four-wheel-drive desirable for one plant site. Check with leaders to sign up. Leaders Paul Mungan and Fred Peterson.

July 2002

• Blue Lake, July 20th-21st (Saturday-Sunday) (CNPS Modoc Chapter). Come camp in the southern Warner Mountains. On Saturday we’ll go bogging and look for sundews, shore sedge, bladderworts, and other rare fen plants; bring a canoe or raft. On Sunday, we’ll do a tour of last year’s large wildfire and see what wildflowers have come up. We’ll look for the rare Lupinus latifolius var. barbatus. Meet at the BLM Office on Highway 299 in Alturas at 10:00 Saturday for the bog walk/canoe, or meet us at the Blue Lake Campground 10:00 on Sunday for the burn tour. Leader Mike Dolan.
• Mt. Lola II, July 20th. First meeting place at 8:00 a.m. from the MacDonald’s at West McCarran and MaeAnne. Second Meeting Place: Traveling west from Reno on I-80, exit California highway 89 northbound and look for the group. Departure at 9:00 a.m. It is 16.5 miles north on highway 89 to the parking area at Fibreboard Road. Hike to the top of Mt. Lola, 9,168 feet, checking out plants along the way. This moderately difficult hike has a 1200 foot elevation gain. High clearance vehicle required as is an axe, shovel, and a gallon of water per car. Bring lunch, water, and rain gear. Leader Gary Monroe. Co-leader Paul Mungan.
• Doyle Grade, July 13th. First meeting place, 8:15 a.m. in the cul-de-sac by the Texaco Station on Red Rock Road. Take highway 395 north from Reno and exit at Red Rock Road. Turn right onto Red Rock and then left into the cul-de-sac which is between the Texaco and the freeway. Second meeting place, 9:00 a.m. at highway 395 and Doyle Grade in Doyle. Flower viewing from Doyle to the top of the adjacent Sierras, featuring a high wet meadow and possibly a stop at a quarry of shale with dendrites. High clearance vehicles necessary. Participants will be walking an easy ½ to one mile, and should bring lunch, water, and insect repellent. Leader John Dyer and co-leader Bonnie Larsen.
• Dismal Swamp, July 13th (CNPS Modoc Chapter). Despite the name, this is a great place in the central Warner Mountains. We’ll see bog birch, elephant heads, and other unusual plants. High clearance vehicles required. Meet at 10:00 at the BLM Office on Highway 299 in Alturas, or at 11:00 at Dismal Swamp. Leader Allison Sanger.
• Hart Mountain/Sheldon Antelope Preserve, Oregon, July 4th-7th (Thursday-Sunday) (CNPS Modoc Chapter). This camping trip in the southern Oregon part of the Modoc Plateau promises hot springs, great vistas, and new plants to explore. Bring complete camping gear and supplies, including water, and a full tank of gas. Meet at the BLM Office on Highway 299 in Alturas at 10:00 on July 4th. Leader Ann Francis.

June 2002

• Thompson Peak, June 29th (CNPS Modoc Chapter). Visit this peak that marks the southeastern edge of the Cascade Range and overlooks the Honey Lake Valley. We’ll be looking for unusual rocky ridge plants, like perhaps Erigeron compactus that was collected by Stebbins there in 1937. Meet at the Park and Ride at the junction of Highway 395 and Janesville Grade at 10:00. Leader Gary Schoolcraft.
•  Peavine, June 15th. Meet at 8:00 a.m. near the McDonald’s at the Lemmon Valley exit on highway 395 north of Reno. Turn right on Lemmon Valley Drive and right into the shopping center. All day trip planned to visit mid-to-upper reaches of Peavine Mountain in the northern and northwestern portions. Bring lunch, plenty of water, sunscreen, hat, etc. Please wear sturdy walking shoes or boots to handle a variety of terrain. Activity level: Plan on some walking, over uneven surfaces, and some steep terrain. Distances covered will depend on whether certain sites we decide to visit are accessible by vehicle. Vehicular requirements: High clearance vehicles are required as of this writing; 4-wheel drive may be necessary, however this won’t be determined until late May. Please contact the leaders at that time for more travel information. NOTE: All vehicles will need to carry an axe, shovel, and a gallon of water. Leaders Melanie Scott, John Dyer, and Sharon Lancaster.
• Fredonyer Peak, June 15th (CNPS Modoc Chapter). This driving tour with short walks will take us from a lower elevation area that burned 3 years ago and is now full of the rare Iliamna bakeri and other fire-following wildflowers, up in elevation to several different sagebrush habitats and great views of Eagle Lake. We’ll be sure to hit the flowering peak right somewhere up the mountain! 2-wheel drive OK, but high clearance recommended. Meet at the BLM Eagle Lake Field Office on Riverside Drive in Susanville at 10:00. Leader Beth Corbin.
• Truckee River Project, June 8th. Nick Lutz of the Nature Conservancy is leading a tour of this project which was the subject of his talk at the February meeting. Meet at 8:00 a.m. in the parking lot of the Department of Environmental and Resource Sciences building at 1000 Valley Road. The outing will take approximately three hours and requires some walking on uneven ground. Carpooling is required. Six or less vehicles desired. Bring water, sunscreen, hiking boots, snacks. Leader Nick Lutz.
• Papoose Meadows, June 8th (CNPS Modoc Chapter). Visit a spectacular wet meadow full of blue-flowered camas, delphiniums, buttercups, and other assorted wildflowers and birds. This meadow also has an interesting historic and pre-historic value to the local Native Americans. Meet at the Lassen National Forest’s Eagle Lake Ranger Station on Highway 36 at 10:00 am. Wear shoes suitable for wet ground. Leader Kim Earll. Sierra Valley, June 1st. Meet at 8:00 a.m. near the MacDonald’s at the Lemmon Valley exit on highway 395 north of Reno. Turn right on Lemmon Valley Drive and right into the shopping center. Second meeting place: 8:30 a.m. in Vinton, California, in a pullout area just beyond Frank’s Vinton Garage, on Highway 70. Frank’s Garage is at the junction of Highways 49 and 70, on the south side of 70, about 2 miles west of the Wiggins Trading Post and Frenchman Lake Road. All day trip to explore the Smithneck Creek area above Sierra Brooks subdivision in Loyalton, as well as other stops depending on moisture conditions. Bring lunch, plenty of water, sunscreen, hat, etc. Wear sturdy walking shoes. Activity level: Once at the site(s) expect some walking, but not long distances. Moderately easy. Vehicular requirements: High clearance vehicles are desirable, but not required. Standard vehicle should do ok. Leaders Bill & Nancy Harnach and Melanie Scott.

May 2002

• Steamboat/Geiger Grade, May 18th. Meet at 8:00 a.m. near the pink Scolari’s in the Southwest Pavilion at 8165 South Virginia Street. Leaders Janet Bair and Jody Sawasaki.
• Hot Springs Mountains, May 11th. First meeting place, 8:00 a.m. in the northwest parking lot of McCarran House at 55 E. Nugget Ave., east of John Ascuaga’s Nugget and west of McCarran Blvd. Second meeting place at Nightingale Springs turn-off on I-80 between Fernley and Lovelock, near the garlic drying plant about 9:00 a.m. Leaders Gary Monroe and Paul Mungan.
• Weed walk, May 5th (Sunday). Please meet at 9:00 am in the parking lot of the UNR Department of Environmental and Resource Sciences building at 1000 Valley Road. The walk is expected to end around noon. Leader: Dawn Rafferty.
• Ash Meadows, May 3rd-6th (Friday-Monday). Camping will be at Crater Flats south of Beatty, NV. Participants will be meeting with Gina Glenne, USFW botanist at Ash Meadows for a tour of Ash Meadows. Sunday there will be botanizing near the campsite at Crater Flat. A visit to nearby Death Valley is planned on the way home Monday. We will be hiking short distances from the vehicles. Four-wheel drive vehicles preferred because of sand and rough roads near campsite. Bring the equipment you need to camp, food, and plenty of water. Meeting place to be determined. Leader: Paul Mungan. Co-leader Fred Peterson.

April 2002

• Mossing in the Carson Range, April 6th (rain or shine). Please meet at 9:00 am in the parking lot of the UNR Department of Environmental and Resource Sciences building at 1000 Valley Road. We will travel to the east base of the Carson Range and walk 1-2 miles up a canyon with running water. We will learn to recognize different moss species and their habitats, and will have hands-on demonstrations of how to document Nevada's little-known moss flora with collections. The trip is anticipated to take about half the day. Leader: Jim Shevock, co-leader (contact for information) Jim Morefield.

March 2002

•  Lichens near Pyramid Lake, March 7th (alternate rain-out day April 13th). Meet at 9:00 am in the parking lot of the Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station, 1000 Valley Road. The trip is anticipated to take most of the day. If doubtful about whether the trip will go on the morning of March 9th, call the trip Leader, Eric Peterson of the Nevada Natural Heritage Program.